Hi guys! Hope I can get some help/advice for my current car situation.

I have a '96 that has a laundry list of work that needs to be done. Some vital, some preventative, some cosmetic. It has 193k miles on it and I've owned it for a few years, doing most of the work on it myself.

It needs:
Tune-up kit (plugs & wires definitely need to be replaced)
Possible hole in exhaust (going to get this checked tomorrow)
Timing belt & water pump (proactive)
Shocks & Struts (driver's side is slightly bent at the top from the wreck - they're pretty loose anyway)
At least one wheel bearing is bad (driver's side)
Brakes need bleeding (one thing I don't have the patience/helping hands for)

I also have some damage from a wreck (lady pulled out in front of me, and she didn't have insurance; I didn't sue her). I need a hood, driver's side fender, and head lamps.

The thing with the body damage is the part of the frame that the fender attaches to is bent from the wreck. Is this part replaceable? I'm sorry that I don't have the correct terminology or pictures at the moment.

I drive this thing a lot for work (300-800 miles per week). I am a contract worker and don't get a company vehicle, but will be hired on in the next few months.

My options are to fix this car or to replace it. I can't do the brakes or wheel bearing on my own (I don't trust myself to cut the inner race without ******* up), I have a good & cheap exhaust guy, and I can do the rest on my own. I only have $5000 saved for my next vehicle.

TL;DR:
Can I replace the part of the frame that the driver's side front fender attaches to (the rail under the hood)?

Is it worth it to fix this vehicle, or should I look to get the best deal I can find for the money I have saved and move on?

 

not worth it with 5K plus parting out the civic you could get a nice integra gsr or RSX S/Base model !.

 

I'd put a down payment on a WRX if I wanted a nicer, fun dependable car for all weather to drive to work every day. That's just me though...If I didn't have my truck I would have a Subaru for AWD when weather gets shitty.
I only have my honda for 2 reasons...gas mileage (saves miles on my truck that gets 12mpg) and trips to the track. If I want to ride nice and get respect I'm not rolling up in a civic/integra that's JDM and lowered yo.

 

Still forgot to get pictures of the front end, but I did get the exhaust checked out. The exhaust pipe going into the muffler had become separated. My exhaust guy charged me $10 to clean and re-weld it. Car sounds/runs much better now (obviously). He did, however, find a crack forming in the manifold ($170).

I've been saving for a new ride, and am kind of hoping I can get 2-4 more months out of this car so I can keep saving up to ~$8-10k (refuse to do payments). I feel like I wouldn't be happy with the choices that are available to me in the $5k range (I've been looking).

I think I'll skip the body work and just get a tune kit and stop being lazy about the wheel bearing.

 

sink as little as you can into it....my civic died but in the 3 months leading up to it I was out 300$+ just to keep it driving should have just parted it out in the first place. got a 09 Fit instead now all payed off.

 

You could pick up another civic in really good condition for 3k or less. Do the minimum possible and then get what you can for your car and then move on.

 

beat the crap out of the fender apron, slap on some junkyard body panels and off you go. as far as bleeding brakes go, pick yourself up a mityvac. for around $30, bleeding becomes a diy job with no pedal pumping necessary.